Lyth & Bairstow Dent Hampshire's Strong Start

Report from the opening day of Hampshire's Specsavers County Championship match against Yorkshire at Headingley

Adam Lyth and Jonny Bairstow came to Yorkshire's rescue by each scoring centuries against Hampshire on the first day of the Specsavers County Championship match at Headingley.

The pair put on 205 together in 44 overs after Yorkshire had been struggling on 41 for three, Hampshire opting to field first without a toss.

The partnership came to an end when Lyth was lbw to Sean Ervine for 111 off 188 balls with 18 fours but Bairstow went on to complete his own century from 167 deliveries with 13 fours and a six.

The England wicketkeeper-batsman was unbeaten on 107 and Yorkshire were 270 for five when bad light ended play for the day.

Lyth lost his England place after failing to impress in last summer's Ashes series and in his seven Championship appearances he managed only 315 runs with a top score of 67.

But he was back to something near his best in this game in making his first Championship century since his 122 against Nottinghamshire at Trent Bridge in September, 2014.

Bairstow was in the same destructive form that brought him 1,108 Championship runs in nine matches last year at an average of 92.33 to win back his Test place.

The start of the game was delayed half-an-hour while ice melted on the outfield and there was early help with seam and swing for Hampshire's seamers who had much the better of the morning session, although Lyth survived it after Fidel Edwards failed to hold on to a return catch when the batsman was 14.

Alex Lees was taken at third slip by James Vince off James Tomlinson and Gary Ballance soon departed when he was unable to withdraw his bat in time against Chris Wood.

Captain, Andrew Gale, failed to get off the mark as he brushed a legside delivery from Ryan McLaren into Adam Wheater's gloves and at 41 for three Yorkshire had a lot of repair work to do.

But Bairstow was soon playing with complete authority, pulling Tomlinson for six and striking a couple of fours and Yorkshire went in to lunch on 80 for three.

Batting with increasing confidence, Lyth dashed to his century from 177 balls with 17 boundaries but departed in the first over after tea and in the following over Jack Leaning edged a good ball from Wood to give Wheater his third catch.

Bairstow, partnered by Rashid, mis-hooked a bouncer from Edwards for four to reach his century from 167 deliveries with 13 fours and a six in an innings in which he rarely seemed in any sort of trouble.

His progress was halted by bad light and play was called off at six o'clock with 30 overs having been lopped off the day's ration.

Words: Press Association

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